Zarda is a traditional dish which is mainly prepared in weddings in the north Indian Muslim communities.
Though you may find a similar dessert in other parts on India, I’ve cook the Zarda at home and tried to match the taste which is prepared by experienced cooks.
To my surprise it turned out awesome. I wasn’t sure at first but when the people around me appreciated it and asked for more, It made me happy that the recipe passed the test and is ready to go on the blog.
So, the sweetened pulao is here for you. Prepare it at home by following this easy recipe with step by step instructions along with pictures. I hope you will love this one as well.
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Serving:4
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Basmati Rice/ Saila rice | 1-1/2 cup |
| Pure ghee | 1/4 cup |
| Cardamom green | 3 |
| Cloves | 3 |
| Almonds | 15 |
| Cashew nuts | 15 |
| Raisins /kishmish | 13 |
| Coconut grated | 2 tablespoon |
| Mava/ khoya | 1/2 cup |
| Sugar | 1 cup |
| Food color (green and orange) | small pinch both |
| Rose water/ kewra water | 2 tablespoon |
| Milk | 1 –1/2 cup |
Method:
1. Clean, wash and soak rice in water for half an hour. Take 6 glass of water and soaked rice in a wok and cook it on high flame till rice cooked properly.
2. Strain it using strainer and drain the water, keep the rice aside.
3. Heat the non stick wok with ghee and temper it with cardamom green and cloves. Add diced almonds, cashew nuts and raisins. Fry it for 30 seconds on medium flame. Don’t add coconut at this time because coconut burnt very quickly so we don’t have to fry the coconut.
4. Add mava in the wok and fry it for 1 minutes on medium flame.
5. Now add coconut and boiled rice.
6. Mix it well with the dry fruits.
7. Then add sugar and cook it on medium flame for 1 minutes. You will notice that the rice is now little sticky because the sugar gets melted in it. Also, the rice gets little hard because of the sugar syrup, which is quite normal.
8. We have put two different colors, make the colors in two separate bowls by one tablespoon rose water in both the bowls.
9. Sprinkle the colors alternatively into the rice and then add the milk to it.
10. Cook covered on low flame for 20-25 minutes till rice is cooked properly and there is no milk left in the wok. Mix it well, delicious zarda is ready to serve.
11. Enjoy!!
